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latch issues, fussy at breast .. causing pink nipples?

Would latch issues alone cause very sore, pink nipples? They hurt a lot on the latch and let down, and anything touching them, like showering, loose tops, etc.

I really don't have any thrush symptoms except extremely sore pink nipples. My lo has a milky white tongue .. no patches... so I 'sort of' have the symptoms of thrush .. or perhaps just nipple abuse?:P

He will pull of a ton and yank, twist etc once in awhile when very gassy. I've learned to stop and wait but sometimes he'll do just a little of this at each feeding and calm down. This has made me pretty sore, before that I was engorged, and before that we were learning latching. So my nipples haven't really gotten a good break to heal perhaps?

Also I seem to still have a horizontal crease on one nipple, and lipstick shape on the other, after feeding is done. Sometimes they're not so bad, other times very apparent. So we're obviously still having latch issues even though I'm educated how to get a good latch. Very frustrating.

Any thoughts appreciated. I am so confused how to truly tell thrush from overall new soreness (we're at about 6 weeks of breastfeeding now).

Re: latch issues, fussy at breast .. causing pink nipples?

I don't think latch issues alone would create nipples that are so sore that they hurt when a loose top or shower stream touches them. Not unless they're cracked and blistered, and you'd notice that. The pinkness is another thing that's... Suggestive, I guess. It could just be normal color changes related to the end of pregnancy and the beginning of breastfeeding- but it could also be thrush or some other infection.

Re: latch issues, fussy at breast .. causing pink nipples?

Well, it certainly could be thrush, or a bacterial infection on the nipple. No sign of thrush in baby would not rule out thrush. Is this new pain? Has breastfeeding beeen comfortable up until now? Because this being a new issue after comfortable nursing would also indicate thrush or bacterial infection.

But just fyi, with my new baby, I experienced painful latch from day 2, did not get it taken care of, and I developed over the next week this same kind of super sensitivity, (for example, pumping, which I tried due to being super engorged as well, was way too excruciating) bright pink nipple, and no cracks, and it really was entirely due to injury from a very bad latch. Even one of the LC's I went to thought it was thrush, but I finally surmised that I was just horribly bruised beneath the surface. Fixing latch (and this took time and being very very careful with latch for a few weeks) with no other treatment took care of it.

In any case, it sounds like it would be a good idea to see an IBCLC if you possibly can to get this assessed.

Last edited by @llli*lllmeg; November 26th, 2012 at 10:13 AM.
Reason: clarity

Re: latch issues, fussy at breast .. causing pink nipples?

I just talked to a consultant on the phone who said thrush by this point would be very itchy and shiny (I've had pain the whole 6 weeks I've been breastfeeding). She thinks it's due to my fast letdown and possibly reynauds.

could I have thrush without shiny/itchy symptoms...lasting this long without really escalating or going away?

I do have bruising issues/slow healing..and a form of reynauds in my toes in the winter... could be that I'm just super sensitive and taking time to heal like mentioned ^ . Dunno...?

I also forgot to mention my lo will click a lot during the day at certain times when feeding but not at night. Like the latch readjustment within the mouth type clicking. Which I know can be thrush too..or not.

Re: latch issues, fussy at breast .. causing pink nipples?

have you ever sat down with an ibclc for a full appt-90 minutes or so-and had breastfeeding-latch, positioning, babies mouth, etc, thoughly assessed? 6 weeks is too long to suffer with pain. Whether thrush or vasospsm or letdown is part of the picture or not, it sounds as if latch is still a problem.